Wednesday Morning Astros, etc. Round Up

by Stephen Higdon on Jun 17, 2009 9:50 AM CDT in News

Mike Hampton will hit the DL with a groin strain. Brandon Backe will get a spot start and this leaves me frustrated. I get that on a practical level, this makes the most sense, but Backe has been bad, and there's a few minor league pitcher's earning the shot at a look. Par for the course, though, I suppose. Oh, Wesley Wright is getting recalled to fill the roster spot even though his 11 IP at AAA have been less than impressive.
I originally clicked this link to see what Lance Berkman had to say about Sammy Sosa...and then I discovered this:

"Matsui isn’t exactly 100 percent yet, though. "It’s like around 90 percent or something like that," he said."

In case you've missed it, Ivan Rodriguez is about to do something pretty special.
Richard Justice tells why the Rangers are better, in just about every respect, as franchise than we are (besides that whole part about not being owned by a bank, of course).
FJM is rolling in it's fictional grave right now with this analysis of A-Fraud, etc.

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pitching moves.

Sure I would rather see Bazardo or Norris get the spot start; like most fans, I figure it would be more interesting than seeing Backe get lit up, and that a rookie probably can’t do worse.

I get the feeling that the Astros feel obligated in some way to give Backe the start. Perhaps it is a sentimental attachment. Maybe it’s his salary. Or perhaps they feel like they didn’t give him a fair chance after putting him in the bullpen. In any event, this could be the final chance to evaluate whether Backe can help the team.

I wrote an article earlier (before he was sent down) suggesting that it was time to give Wright work in AAA. However, I had mixed feelings about it, at the time. Some of the evidence points to bad luck on Wright’s part. For example, Wright has an inflated percentage of infield hits with the Astros this year. Also, in the course of writing an article on Astros’ pitches, I was surprised that Wright’s curve ball was so effective. The most bothersome thing about Wright is that he has such inconsistency with control, which he didn’t exactly cure in his AAA stint (7 BB in 11 IP). But I’m hopeful that Wright has renewed confidence now and will be effective in the majors.

by clack on Jun 17, 2009 7:20 AM CDT reply actions

By the way, is it Thursday morning where you are at? :)

by clack on Jun 17, 2009 7:22 AM CDT reply actions

Hahaha

It’s funny because I set it to publish as Wednesday, but as I was trying to fall asleep, I managed to convince myself it was Thursday. Moral of the story, I have to stop writing these right before I go to sleep.

The Crawfishboxes
A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.

by Stephen Higdon on Jun 17, 2009 9:53 AM CDT up reply actions

...That or check a calendar

by Stephen Higdon on Jun 17, 2009 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions

used to

love richard justice…but all he does is bash astros rockets and texans…even if they win he will put a negative twist on it

by EveryHoustonTeamRox! on Jun 17, 2009 8:26 AM CDT reply actions

Brandon Backe has been bad... in relief.

He’s always been terrible in relief. If you look at his starts, when he gets hit, it’s usually early on in his start, then he settles in. It would make sense that he would be a terrible reliever, he gives up runs, and is pulled, there’s no time to settle in.

Backe should be the guy to get the spot start, because we won’t really know how he is this year until he starts – bullpen innings for him are meaningless.

During his rehab starts, and yes, I understand it was against AA and AAA competition, but Backe was lights out for the month or more he spent in the minors.

by byronlhsdrmr on Jun 17, 2009 10:45 AM CDT reply actions

His career ERA as a starter vs. reliever

Not very good either way, but to help my point:

Backe has a 5.02 ERA as a starter and a 6.20 ERA as a reliever.

by byronlhsdrmr on Jun 17, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions

RJ Also Pointed Out

how the Astros record under McLane is far better than the Rangers under Hicks. There’s something to be said about the Rangers finishing last or next to last in their division for eight out of the last nine years.

By contrast, the ’stros have had the fourth best record in baseball under McLane, behind the Red Sox, Yanks, and Braves.

I tip my hat to the Rangers’ recent success and their positives. But it’s hard to argue with actual results, of which they have few and we have many.

by pel on Jun 17, 2009 10:54 AM CDT reply actions

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